Policy for the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources and Services

Policy for the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources and Services

PURPOSE:

Bowie State University’s missions to effectively and efficiently manage its resources, provide high quality and affordable educational opportunities drive the strategic growth and delivery of information technology to our users. The diverse technologies and services that are available to our students, faculty, staff, and users present challenges to maintain educational freedom and accessibility while providing security and privacy for each individual. The purpose of this policy is to establish individual responsibilities and guidelines for access and use of Information Technology at Bowie State University.

SCOPE:

This policy encompass Bowie State University’s Information Technology infrastructure, which may include administrative computing systems, electronic messaging, networking, telecommunications, etc. This policy also establishes acceptable use of the infrastructure and services by individuals who have been granted legal privilege to use them.

GENERAL POLICY:

Students, Faculty, Staff, and Users who have been granted authorized access to Bowie State University Information Technology Resources and Services must abide by the Acceptable Use Policy described herein and various university policies related to the use of Information Technology in the university. Users must also adhere to all Federal laws, State of Maryland laws, University System of Maryland policies and regulations pertaining to the use of Information Technology resources and services.

Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources and Services - Each user provides their consent to abide by Bowie State University policies and procedures and acknowledge that they are responsible for complying with university policies and guidelines regarding the access and use of information technology resources and services in the university. Each individual user assumes responsibility for any actions that violates the acceptable use of information technology resources and services. Failure on a user’s part to do so may subject the user to disciplinary actions, revocation of services, expulsion, criminal proceedings, etc.

Privacy and confidentiality of Access Information - Personal account information and passwords are confidential and should not be shared with another individual. Failure to maintain this confidentiality and divulging this information that leads to unauthorized access to information technology resources and services in the university may lead to legal proceedings and consequences against the individual who advertently or inadvertently released the information.

Adherence to Copyright Law and Regulations - Sharing of copyrighted material without the express consent of the copyright owner is against the law and the individual will be personally liable for such violations. This policy includes prohibitions against the illegal use of copyrighted material whether they be data, sounds, images, and other formats covered by Copyright laws. This policy also includes adherence to intellectual property policies and guidelines and federal and state laws.

Privacy of Other Users - Federal and State Laws protect the privacy of wire and electronic communications. Each individual user in the university is responsible in ensuring that their use of information technology resources and services on campus does not cause intentional or unintentional violation of other users privacy and confidentiality. It is strictly against responsible use to try and utilize another individual’s information or access. It is also illegal to intercept, monitor, or collect information through the use of university resources and services.

Responsible use of university network resources and services - Each user use a portion of our network bandwidth and resources whenever they use resources that go across our network. Each user is thus responsible to maintaining responsible use of network resources so as not to degrade performance and services on campus. Failure to do so will result in removal of access to these services and legal proceedings as necessary.

Response use of electronic messaging - Electronic messaging is a privilege and not a right. Please refer to the Bowie State University Electronic Mail Acceptable Use Policy for further information.

Unlawful Activities - Any individual engaging in unlawful or malicious activities using Bowie State University resources and services will result in immediate revocation of all access to these services and may result in legal and/or criminal proceedings against the individual/individuals